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Craig Edwards
]] Craig Dougal Edwards (20 April 1890 - 16 January 1961) was a Brunanter actor and filmmaker, who is considered the first true star of Brunanter cinema. He became a popular icon through his screen persona "Mr. Stanson", appearing in several short comedic films, as well as the feature-length The Inheritance (1923). Following the financial collapse in late 1930s, Edwards stayed away from cinema for many years, but his career was shortly revived when he collaborated with Jan Rotterdammer in At the Old Tavern (1955). Biography Early life Craig Edwards was born in Carrington, into a wealthy Borderer family of lawyers and politicians (his uncle Arthur had served as Carrington's mayor a few years ago). His father Roderick was a respected lawyer himself, while his mother Anne (née Brod) was a piano teacher. Craig had a younger brother, William. Craig and William received piano lessons from their mother from a young age. William got more interested through the years and later on he also learned to play the violin. Craig, on the other side, was more interested in theater. Despite his father's initial opposition, Craig joined a comedy troupe, with whom he toured Brunanter music halls throughout 1909 and 1910. In 1911, he moved to Cape Cross, where he started performing comedies at a local theater. Travelling abroad and first films Edwards became increasingly interested in cinema and decided to travel to the countries where this new art form flourished. As a result he embarked for France in early 1913. He stayed in Paris for several months, where he met pioneers like Georges Méliès and Louis Feuillade. In August, Edwards arrived in London. There, he bought an old Bioscope 300 film camera from the Charles Urban Trading Company. However, he hurriedly returned to Brunant a couple weeks later as his mother fell ill. In October, Edwards was invited to join the Bell Company, one of the first film companies in Brunant, founded by Jonathan Bell in 1910. He soon became the company's main camera operator and he also got to direct a few films. In 1918, Edwards left the Bell Company and established his own production company, called Star Films. Around that time, he conceived the idea of a character who would appear in a series of short comedies, just like Charlie Chaplin's the Tramp. He shot, produced and wrote half a dozen of films starring himself as Mr. Stanson, a clumsy childlike young man, while his brother William composed the music. A Job for Mr. Stanson, the first of the series, was released in 1919 and was an immediate success. Until today, it is considered the finest of Mr. Stanson films. Subsequent titles (Mr. Stanson's Vacation - 1920, Mr. Stanson in Prison - 1920, Mr. Stanson falls in Love - 1921, Mr. Stanson and the Stolen Ring - 1922, Mr. Stanson says Good-bye - 1922) made Edwards immensely popular. According to an article of the Cape Times from February 1920, he was "perhaps the third most recognizable Brunanter alive". Apart from these short comedies, Star Films also released The White Cow (1921), a film based on a Hans August Detker children's tale. It was directed by Edwards and starred his little nephew, Charles. ''The Inheritance'' and other feature films In 1923, Edwards directed, wrote and acted in The Inheritance. It depicts the story of a young man who inherits a large amount of money from a distant relative and decides to spend it all in one night, only to find out that it was a prank. The Inheritance ''is seen by many as Edwards' best film, as he slightly moved away from slapstick comedy to a more sophisticated farce. The next year, Edwards directed ''The Drunkard, the last short film he ever made. However, he did not take the leading role, preferring to hand it over to the respected stage actor George Waugh. Under the Stars (1925) was Edwards' only romantic film, starring Thomas Bolton and Martha Buddock. At a time when most Brunanter films were comedies, it was a big success. As a result, Edwards had now the financial means to realize his dream film, an adaptation of Anton Reiber-Koller's The Baroness. However, due to personal issues, the production was not over until 1929. It was released in the same year and became Edwards' most successful creation. Financial problems and departure from cinema In 1931, Edwards made Doctor Jamieson. At the time it was released, cinema had shifted to the talkies and Star Films could not afford the machinery needed for the production of such films. Consequently, the audience moved towards American productions and Doctor Jamieson was a disaster. He tried to regain his losses with another romantic film, but it was never completed. Stricken by what he considered "ingratitude from the audience" and the divorce with his wife, Edwards quit cinema and descended into alcoholism. Later years and death After World War II, Edwards sporadically appeared on stage. In 1952, he denied Ennio Pazzini's offer to take a small role in his film Man in the Well. A few years later, however, he collaborated with Jan Rotterdammer for At the Old Tavern (1955). Edwards not only had the main role, but he also worked closely with Rotterdammer on the screenplay. The film was a success and Edwards was praised for his acting. Shortly after shooting At the Old Tavern, Edwards started writing his memoirs, chronicling his own life as well as personal accounts and stories about the early period of Brunanter cinema. However, he never finished it, as he died of pneumonia on 16 January 1961. It was later edited by his only child, Mildred Edwards-Whiteley, and was published in 1969. Personal life In 1918, Edwards married Philippa Whiteley. The couple had one daughter, Mildred (1919-1998). It was an unhappy marriage, and Edwards spent long hours at the studio to avoid seeing his wife. In February 1932, Philippa took the child and left the family home. A bitter divorce followed and according to his own memoir, he "felt he was siting at the edge of a cliff". Edwards, who was never a heavy drinker, became a severe alcoholic. He claimed he got over it with help from his brother William. Edwards' parents were deeply religious and he remained a faithful Catholic throughout his life. Legacy Edwards was one of the most important figures of the first period of Brunanter cinema and several directors, including Amelia Barnhard and John Fadaaq, have cited Edwards as a major influence on their films. Film critic Johannes de Jong described him as part of the "silent era triumvirate", along with Joseph van Marwijk and Andrew Ginn, while Joris Thiessen included The Drunkard and The Inheritance on his list with the ten must-watch films of the silent era. A popular idiom, "slip like Stanson", refers to Edwards and is used when someone falls down in a ridiculous or comic way. Filmography Short films Feature films Category:Directors Category:Actors Category:Screenwriters Category:1890 births Category:Dead people